Kaun Banega Crorepati 17: Contestant Kumari Puja reveals how her father wanted to get her married in 8th standard; says ‘I denied and completed my education’

In the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17, Kumari Puja from Balangir, Odisha, takes the hotseat. She is a homemaker and home tutor. She recalls her tough journey of making it on her own despite financial struggles in her family.

She narrated how she had to quit a job because of not being able to balance home and work. However, later she became a tutor.


Later, she narrated her labour class father wanted to get her married in eighth standard to a labour class man. However, she stood firm for her dreams and continued to her education. She said, “I wanted to prove my father that a lot can change with the help of education. My father had drinking habits. Everyone protested that I shouldn’t be allowed to study after 8th. The school there was only till 7th standard and there was another school at a distance. I somehow I wanted to study till 10th. With one copy and pencil I finished entire year. When marks were out, I was a topper in 10th. Everyone was shocked that with no tuitions, no amenities how did I top. Teachers came to congratulate me.”

Right now, she has also applied for Ph.D. She shared, “In 2016, I did have the opportunity to do Ph. D but the fees were Rs 12,000 and I would get Rs 20,000 from school. I chose my job because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to feed my family. But now, I want to fulfill my dreams.”

When host Amitabh Bachchan asks how she met her husband, Kumari Puja narrates how there was a financial crunch and her father couldn’t find a match. She narrated, “I opened my profile on a matchmaking site and I must have had good karma in the past and he called. I told her about myself and was scared to get married to him. I took a risk but the best risk of my life.”

She uses first lifeline for Rs 1 lakh question: During which festival in Odisha are paper boats with lighted lamps inside them floated down the Mahanadi River? A. Dola Yatra, B. Rath Yatra, C. Bali Yatra, D. Snana Yatra.

With their help, she correctly answers option C. She plays till Rs 2 lakh question and becomes a rollover contestant.